Election 2024
The cost of running for elections in India has become a shocking aspect of the democratic process. It’s not just about votes and political boots on the ground anymore; it’s also about the money parties spend. In 2019, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) splurged $150 million, while the Congress party spent $98 million. This made the Indian elections one of the most expensive democratic exercises in the world.
However, past victories have shown that it’s the brand leaders who win, not necessarily those who spend the most money. Despite this, the trend continues in the 2024 elections.
As the general elections draw nearer, political parties are intensifying their efforts to reach the masses, especially through digital campaigns. Meta and Google estimate that political ad spending in India reached a whopping Rs 102.7 crore in the last three months alone.
According to data released by these tech giants, the ruling BJP has significantly outspent its main rival, the Congress party, on online advertisements. Between December 5 and March 3, the BJP spent over Rs 37 crore on online ads, which is more than 300 times higher than the Congress’s expenditure.
A recent report from a popular website reveals that the Congress and its units spent just Rs 12.2 lakh on online content promotion during the same period.
Other parties have also invested substantial amounts in political ad campaigns. For example, Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party ranks second in India’s political ad expenditure list, having spent Rs 4 crore. This is followed by Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal (BJD) at Rs 51 lakh, the YSR’s rival Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at Rs 39.5 lakh, and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC) at Rs 27 lakh. Notably, the YSRCP’s spending includes ads purchased by the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) on its behalf.
